Akon Drafted In To Help Houston Comeback

R+b star Akon is giving Whitney Houston a boost as she plans a major comeback - he has agreed to work on her more "uptempo" numbers.

Houston has been planning her comeback album for more than a year and has been working on it with mentor Clive Davis, in between rehab stints to kick her drug abuse problems.

And now Senegalese chart-topper Akon has confirmed he's part of the diva's studio team.

He tells MTV News, "I'm working on more uptempo records for her. She's been through a lot and has a dark history. So we've got to make the album brighter because she's come out of the cave now.

"She wants a celebration. She needs to come back to the old Whitney we remember."

Akon has also been linked to Michael Jackson, with industry insiders suggesting the pair will record a duet for the King Of Pop's own comeback album.

He adds, "Right now that's in the air. I can't talk about it."